Background note for meeting of SPECA TWG on Gender & SDGs, Nov 2021

Women’s economic empowerment and gender equality are fundamental to achieving a prosperous, inclusive and sustainable future for all. This is broadly recognized and is reflected in the 2030 Agenda both as a stand-alone goal for gender equality – SDG 5 – and as accelerator to other SDGs in specific gender-responsive targets. Measures and actions that promote equitable access to and control over resources, production and consumption equally shaped by women and men, and outcomes of activities that equally benefit women and men have proved to have a strong impact on all three dimensions of sustainable development – social, economic and environmental.